ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Focus and discipline are two valuable skills Angelica Miles carries both in the ring and outside of the ring.

“Growing up I was very combative and I got into trouble a lot in school," Miles said. “Like every other day, I was fighting. So it was a blessing that I got into boxing.”

Growing up with boxing in her blood, Angelica began to compete at an early age, alongside her four brothers. Investing hours inside of the gym, being coached by none other than her dad.

“My oldest son, he is boxing,” coach Maurice Miles said. “She has a twin brother. He's a professional boxer and she's been boxing her whole life. Pretty much just following the footsteps of me, coming into the gym, working out. They see it. ‘Well, Dad can we try it? Yeah sure why not,' and they just stuck with it.”

Preparing and training for the next round in Angelica’s career.

“In September I go on to Colorado for the trials to hopefully try to make the Olympic team,” Angelica said. “There's only one U.S. female that's ever won the Olympics back to back. And I was Claressa Shields. So honestly, I want to be either the next Clarissa Shields or possibly better than her.”

Angelica ranked third in the nation in her weight class at the 2023 Golden Gloves of America National Championship. She's thankful for the support of her family and friends but most importantly her dad.

“It's not easy training and a lot of coaches don't really like training a female,” Angelica said. “So for my dad to really like to stick by my side meant a lot for me. He's really confident in me, so it's like, okay, if you have that confidence in me, I have to have confidence in myself. So honestly, he keeps me going and he pushes me.”

Balancing between the roles of a coach and a dad, Maurice says the training has strengthened their skills and the family’s relationship.

“My dad wasn't there,” Maurice said. “So everything that I do and I've made a ton of mistakes I've learned and I've grown from them. And it's been super helpful not only to myself but [to] everyone around me. My kids are grown pretty much now, so it's like where they used to hang out with me and wherever I went, they went. Now I've got to call them. ‘Hey, what are you doing today? Just calling to check on you. You know I'm still here, right? My number ain’t change.”

Developing skills that can be used both in and out of the ring, Maurice hopes his coaching trains his family to be great boxers but even better members of the community.

“It's bigger than boxing, it’s life experience,” Maurice said. “It’s to toughen her up for the real world, because in the real world there's no bell, there's no timeouts. It all starts here in the gym. The hardest and the biggest fight you're going to have is coming to the gym every day, training for that one fight.”